


The First Language We Speak

by slightly_ajar



Series: Stable AU [9]
Category: MacGyver (TV 2016)
Genre: Cairo Week Celebrations 2020, Father/son relationships, Fluff, Soft and fluff, Stable AU, dad!Jack, day 7 AU, soft, teen!Mac
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-04-19
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:40:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,321
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23732479
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slightly_ajar/pseuds/slightly_ajar
Summary: If the sweet tang of cranberry sauce meant Thanksgiving, the warm yeasty scent of baking meant a visit from Nana Bea and the sharp prickle of gas and metal meant the school science labs and new knowledge then the creamy aroma of buttered popcorn meant fun, laughter, shared time on the sofa with Jack and the companionship of his friends.set in dickgrysvn's Stablehands + Stable Homes AU and alongside violetvaria’s Stable AU
Series: Stable AU [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1491458
Comments: 14
Kudos: 19
Collections: Stable_AU





	The First Language We Speak

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted soft. I wanted fluff. I wrote this.

_Touch is the first language we speak – Steve Gaskins_

Mac closed his eyes and breathed in the smell of buttered popcorn. 

If the sweet tang of cranberry sauce meant Thanksgiving, the warm yeasty scent of baking meant a visit from Nana Bea and the sharp prickle of gas and metal meant the school science labs and new knowledge then the creamy aroma of buttered popcorn meant fun, laughter, shared time on the sofa with Jack and the companionship of his friends. 

He loved the smell, it never failed to make him smile. 

Jack liked to make his own buttered popcorn, melting a large slab of butter in one pan as corn kernels burst noisily in another. 

“I should get one of those clear saucepans.” Jack almost always said as clangs and crashes rattled the closed metal lid of the popcorn pan. “We would be to able see what’s happening, it must be like the fourth of July in there.” Once the racket finished he’d pour the butter onto the newly popped corn with decadent glee saying, “Oh yes, look at that.”

The drive in theatre’s popcorn wasn’t as good as Jack’s but it was still pretty good and Mac and Katie had bought a large bucket to share. 

“You’re going to the drive in movie theatre?” Jack had grinned when Mac had explained his plans. “That’ll be fun. There was one time when I…” he stopped, looked hard at Mac and Mac could see by the shift of his features exactly when he reconsidered telling whatever story he was about to impart, “maybe that’s a tale for another time, when you’re older. In fact,” Jack narrowed his eyes and hummed, “forget I said anything.” 

“You haven’t said anything.” Mac said. 

“Good. That’s probably for the best.” 

Mac and Katie had both wanted to see the movie that was playing, they’d been looking forward to it, but twenty five minutes into it they’d exchanged glances. 

“So this is kind of stupid.” Mac offered. 

“And badly acted and clichéd,” Katie agreed. “And I could live without the music telling me what I’m supposed to be feeling every ten seconds.” 

They’d cuddled together to watch the movie anyway, making fun of it with sarcastic comments intended to make the other laugh. Katie had rested her head against Mac’s shoulder, grumbling about how the team of super friends battling to save the world only had one woman in it and she was wearing impractical high heeled shoes. 

“You need to be wearing solid, flat soled boots to save the galaxy,” she’d muttered, shuffling closer to Mac and resting against his chest with a sigh, “or at least a pair of sneakers. Princess Leia never wore stilettos.”

“She wore a gold bikini.” Mac said. 

“And she choked the giant slug who made her wear it to death.” Katie replied brightly. 

“That is true.” 

Katie fell quiet after that and Mac could feel her weight against him grow heavier and heavier. She’d been working extra shifts at the diner because one of the other waitresses was sick and had smiled blearily at Mac with shadowed eyes when he had picked her up. She’d insisted she was fine, that she’d been looking forward to seeing him, but her long week was apparently catching up with her. It was warm and comfortable in the truck and soon after she’d curled into him Mac heard her breaths slow and deepen. 

“Katie?” He asked softly, “Are you asleep?” 

She didn’t reply. The fingers of the hand she’d rested on his arm twitched. 

“I’ll take that as a yes.” 

For most of Mac’s life physical affection had been something he hadn’t known. For him touch had been either functional - by a doctor or a dentist - or unwanted and frightening. Until he’d met Jack Mac didn’t know what it was like to be held, to be touched with love, for fun or to affirm a connection. Jack was lavish with his physical assurances and it had taken a while to adapt but now Mac relied on that. Jack’s touch was paternal, it spoke of the love and care of a parent to a child. Katie was his friend, his girlfriend, and touching with her was different. It was more equal in a way, less about care being bestowed and more about affection being shared. Mac had enjoyed gently exploring the new experience of contact with her - cupping her elbow, them holding hands and then the kissing which was utterly lovely. Mac had carefully scrutinised each new type of touch, wanting to understand and examine everything about it. The smile Katie gave him as he thoughtfully twined his fingers in hers, feeling the softness of her palm, skirting round the healing burn from where she’d caught herself on the grill at work, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the sharp curve of the top of her nails, was indulgent but pleased. He hoped her smile meant that she knew he was doing what he was doing because he liked, respected and treasured her. He thought she did. 

Mac didn’t mind that Katie had fallen asleep. It didn’t make their date the most exciting one ever but it was nice, cosy. Having her asleep in his arms was almost like a gift. It felt intimate, a closeness born of trust and Mac understood why sometimes when he woke from napping while they were watching TV together Jack would look at him with a soft happiness in his eyes.

Katie let out a soft hum and twitched gently in Mac’s arms. “Did I fall asleep?” She asked, blinking. 

“Yeah.” 

“Oh God, how awful!” Katie blushed and pressed a hand to her mouth. “I’m so sorry!” 

“It’s okay. You’re cute when you’re asleep.” Cute. Warm. Precious. His. 

“Did I snore?” 

“No, you were fine. No snoring, no drooling.” 

“Well, that’s okay I guess.” Katie turned to look out of the windscreen at the movie that was still playing. “Did I miss the end?” 

“No, they're going to do something brave and reckless to defeat the bad guys now.” The team of misfit heroes were assembling on screen looking determined and badass while a dramatic orchestration swelled. 

“Oh okay, let’s see what happens then.” Katie sat up, kissed Mac on the cheek, then rested her head back on his shoulder and turned to watch the movie’s thrilling climax. 

  


Mac turned the engine of the truck off. Katie’s street was quiet, porch lights were on and her neighbours were all tucked up at home. He and Katie were the only people around. 

“You don’t have to walk me to my door.” Katie said. 

“I know,” Mac told her, “but I like to. It’s polite and I want to make sure you get home safely.” 

Katie smiled at him, tipping her head to the side. 

“It’s not a sexist thing, I know you don’t need me to, I just want to. Next time we go out you can drive and then walk me to my door when you take me home.” Mac grinned. 

“What do you think Jack would say about that?” Katie asked. “He’d find it hilarious.” 

Mac imagined telling his dad that Katie had walked him home from their date. “He’d laugh but I think he’d like the idea. He’d probably ask Diane to walk him home the next time they went out.” 

“He would wouldn’t he? He’d probably love it, he’d get her to take his arm and lead him around puddles.” 

Jack would. Mac could imagine him being tickled by the whole process. Diane would probably enjoy it too. Maybe he would tell Jack about the idea. 

“Come along then, kind sir, your lady awaits.” Katie opened her door with a flourish and climbed out of the truck and into the street. 

Mac stepped out of the truck and walked round it to meet her halfway. When he was in front of Katie he bowed like Robin Hood greeting Maid Marian. “My lady.” He offered her his arm. 

Katie threaded her arm through his, “Why thank you my liege.” They walked along the path to her door together. 

Katie was shorter than Mac by a couple of inches and that gave their relationship a new dynamic for him to consider. Jack was taller than Mac, his hands were bigger than Mac’s and he was more muscular. Mac was used to his physical interactions being with people who were larger and stronger than him, even the positive ones with Jack. He’d worried about touching Katie, worried about hurting her. A grip could hurt if held too tight and while Mac would never intentionally do anything to harm Katie what if he was clumsy or too rough and he did? He didn’t know what he’d do if he ever left bruises on her or made her cry out in shocked pain as he squeezed her hand too tightly. He wasn’t used to being the stronger one and didn’t know how to be sure that he was careful enough. Jack knew how to hold on in a way that was firm but brought comfort rather than causing fear but Jack had been practicing carefully using his strength his entire life and Mac was only just learning. He didn’t want to get it wrong. 

“Jack,” he’d asked one day as they were carrying a delivery into the stable. He’d carefully chosen that time to ask his question. Bringing in and putting away the supplies would keep them both busy so they’d have plenty to do to prevent him having to look directly at his dad as he talked. He blushed, mortified, but ploughed on, determined to ask his question. “With girls, they’re smaller and usually not as strong as us, you know, men, so, I mean, how do you make sure that you don’t hurt them. Not when you’re doing anything, like, _anything,_ well that too, but just, when you’re with them.” 

Jack froze, clutching a packet of cat food to his chest, and stared at Mac. “Okay,” he said. He drew a hand slowly down his face. “Okay,” he said again. “Have you and Katie been…?”

“No!” Mac answered quickly. “Nothing like that. But she’s littler than me and sometimes I worry that,” Mac cringed, maybe the only way to say this was to just say it, “I worry that I don’t know how to be sure I don’t hurt her. I don’t want to hurt her.” The words stumbled out in a rush. 

Jack put the cat food in it’s place with such slow, careful precision that Mac knew he was using the time to consider his answer. When the box was on it’s shelf Jack stood in silence with his hand holding it. 

Mac shoved a tub of disinfectant powder into a cupboard, burning with shame. He was glad he’d asked his question though, it felt good to get the worry out. 

“Right.” Jack turned around. “There are several things I have to say to answer your question, kiddo. In no particular order they are: why would you say you don’t know how to be gentle? I’ve seen how you are with the horses and with Cassie. Do you think they would trust you as much as they do if they didn’t feel safe with you?” Jack’s expression was earnest. “Do you think Pepper would put up with anything other than the most caring and respectful behaviour? And if Hal thought you couldn’t be trusted he wouldn’t let you anywhere near him.” 

“Oh.” Mac breathed. 

Jack left a moment of silence for his comment to sink in. He raised his eyebrows. 

As Mac considered the revelation Herschel trotted in to the store room, he could hear the rattle of cat food from one thousand paces and had clearly thought it was worth checking out if a snack was available. He rubbed himself around Jack’s ankles until Jack picked him up, scratched him behind an ear then put him down on a pile of blankets. Herschel settled into a furry ball, ready for a nap, but Mac noticed that he kept one eye open to watch the room just in case something tasty was offered or fell on the floor. 

“And our Katie,” Jack picked up a sack and put it on a pile in the corner of the room, “I’m pretty sure that if there was something she wasn’t happy about she’d tell you. That’s the key, see? You need to talk about stuff. Have you told Katie you’re worrying about this?” 

Mac shook his head. “No, I didn’t know what to say.” 

“With Diane,” Jack sighed, he moved another sack, frowning and clearly wondering how much to tell Mac to get his point across without compromising Diane’s privacy. “Diane hasn’t always had a lot of luck with men, she’s been with people who have been unkind and manipulative so she was wary when we got together. I’ve been real careful with her, getting to know her slowly and respectfully and letting her know that she should tell me if anything is bothering her. She trusts me now and we’ve built a good, strong relationship.” 

“And you think I should be like that with Katie? Respectful and stuff? I already am, you know, respectful, so you think I should be extra respectful?” Mac frowned. “How can I be extra respectful, call her ma’am something, because that might be weird.” 

Jack threw up his hands, his palms up as if he was trying to stem the flow of his son’s overactive mind. “Just tell her that it’s important to you that she’s happy and that she should say if she ever feels uncomfortable. The same goes for you as well, you get to say if you ever feel like something is difficult for you 

“And you think doing that will work? It’ll be enough?” 

Jack kicked the sack into place and smiled. “To be honest, son, the fact that you’re worrying about treating Katie right means that you care enough about her to treat her right, right?” 

That made sense actually. “Right.” 

“Cause if you didn’t care, then you wouldn’t care, but you do care, so you’ll act with care.” 

“I think there are rules about not using the same word that many times in a sentence.” Mac felt better, he was still a little embarrassed but what Jack had just said did make sense even if he had broken a couple of grammatical rules to say it. Since Mac wanted to be good to Katie he would work hard at being good to Katie. The logic there was reassuring. 

Jack snorted. “Rules are meant to be broken,” he said, then flinched with a start and pointed emphatically at Mac, “Except the important ones, like looking both ways before you cross the street, not doing drugs and,” he huffed out a breath while he searched for another unbreakable rule, “good dental hygiene.” 

Mac laughed. “I’ll look before I cross, I’ll say no to drugs and I’ll brush twice a day, don’t worry.” 

“Good.” Jack pulled Mac to him with Mac’s head tucked into the crook of his elbow and dropped a hard kiss on his hair. “You’re a good kid, you know.” 

  


Mac and Katie stopped walking when they reached Katie’s door and she drew her arm out of Mac’s and turned to face him, taking both his hands in hers and swinging them from side to side. 

Mac gave Katie’s hands a gentle squeeze. “Thank you, I had a good time tonight.” 

“You had a good time seeing a terrible movie and watching me sleep?” Katie laughed. 

Mac brought their joined hands up and brushed his hair out of his eyes. “That wasn’t how I expected the date to go but it was still good.” He’d expected fun, laughter, the two of them geeking out together over the movie and maybe a few kisses but it was fine that what happened was different. “Maybe we could try going to the drive in again next week. Hopefully whatever movie is showing will be good and we’ll both stay awake. You could even walk me home.” 

“I’d like that.” 

“You should probably wear flat shoes then, if you're going to be protecting me.” 

Katie laughed. “I couldn’t rescue a gentleman in distress if I had heels on.” 

“Yeah, I’ve been reliably informed that that doesn’t work.” 

“I’ll remember to leave the kitten heels in my wardrobe.” Katie let go of her hold on Mac’s hands and reached up to cup his face in her palms. “It’s a date,” she said, and she kissed him. 

Sometimes on Sunday mornings when Mac is awake and lounging in his comfortable bed Jack will get up before him. Mac will hear him pad downstairs and head into the kitchen to turn the coffee pot on. The smell of brewing coffee drifts up the stairs as Jack flicks on the radio, singing along to the songs he knows and humming with the ones he doesn’t. On those mornings Mac is content to lie where he is listening to the sounds of his dad’s lazy morning. He laughs at the lyrics Jack makes up when he can’t remember the real words of a song and knows that he could get up and join his dad or stay where he is for a while longer. He knows that the only thing he has to do is whatever he wants and that he’d be welcomed wherever he chooses to go. Kissing Katie was like someone had refined everything good about those moments down into a single point that Mac could touch. Fondness, happiness and belonging were there, warm and sweet, in Katie’s kiss

When the kiss ended and Mac opened his eyes Katie was smiling up at him. “Goodnight, Mac.” 

“Goodnight, Katie.” 

  


Jack was asleep. He was sprawled out on the couch with his reading glasses on and a copy of Equine Times open on his chest. He wasn’t quite snoring but he was breathing deeply, the magazine and the hand he had resting on it rose and fell with each breath. Mac rolled his eyes at his dad for trying to stay up waiting for him. He couldn’t believe Jack had fallen asleep, he wasn’t even in that late. He snapped a picture on his phone as proof - certain that Jack would protest he was just resting his eyes -then took the blanket from the back of the rocking chair and spread it over Jack, carefully slipped his glasses off, put them on the end table then turned to head to his bedroom. 

“Good date, kiddo?” 

Mac jumped and spun around with an undignified yelp. “I thought you were asleep!” 

“I was,” Jack rubbed at his eyes, “the Dad part of my brain must have heard you come in.” 

“The Dad part of your brain?” 

“Yeah, that’s the bit of my mind that sits right between the Did Someone Say Cake Section and the Dallas Cowboy Appreciation Area.” Jack sat up, stretched with a drawn out groan and flopped to lean against the back of the sofa. “So how was your evening?” 

“Good. Katie was tired and she fell asleep halfway through the movie.” 

Jack barked out a laugh. “Did you start talking to her about Schroeder’s cat?” 

“Schroeder is the kid in Peanuts who plays the piano, it’s Schrodinger’s Cat, and no, she’s been busy at work and she was tired.” 

“If you say so. Was the movie any good?” 

Mac thought about the so-so plot and the unimaginative villain. “Not really.” 

“It sounds like you had kind of a sucky date there, bud.” 

“No, it was good.” Katie falling asleep on him hadn’t been in his original plans for the evening but Mac was glad it had happened. He felt like he’d learned something even though he couldn’t have explained precisely what it was. “We’re going out again next week.” 

“Good for you.” Jack scratched at the stubble on his chin. He straightened in his seat, looking as if he might haul himself out of the sofa, but he changed his mind and relaxed back again. 

“You didn’t have to wait up for me.” Mac said. 

“I didn’t have to but I like to.” Jack answered. “This sofa is pretty comfy to sleep on. After my little stunt with the balloons my mom slept on the couch in the living room for two weeks running to catch me if I tried to do anything like it again.” 

Mac imagined his Nana Bea curled up under a blanket on the sofa, resplendent in pink pyjamas and hair rollers, watching and listening like an angry hawk for any sign that Jack might be carrying out another prank. “Did you ever tell her where that canister of helium came from?” 

“I didn’t know. A buddy of mine had it and I thought it was best not to ask too much.” Jack winked and tapped the side of his nose. “Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you nothing that could go on to be used as evidence against me in a court of law, if you know what I mean.” 

“Like, ‘no, I have no idea where it came from, officer’” 

“Exactly.” A dreamy smile filled Jack’s expression. “It was worth it though, it was worth the shrieking, the endless questions and having to drag that damn heavy canister through the house in the middle of the night. I’ll never forget the sight of all the kitchen utensils, the ornaments, my sister’s softball trophies and my mom’s knitting project floating around the house attached to brightly coloured balloons. It was like a dream or something from Twin Peaks, that weird TV show from the 90’s about the murdered girl.” 

“Twin Peaks?” Mac said, “I’ve never seen it.” 

“It was weird,” Jack nodded sagely “and kind of arty, Bozer might like it. So,” he announced, stretching his legs out and dropping his heels onto the floor with a decisive thud. “Are you okay?” 

“Yes.” 

“Is Katie okay?” 

“Yeah.” 

“Is the truck okay?” 

“The truck’s fine.” Mac shrugged. “It might smell a bit like popcorn.” 

“That’s okay, it’s smelled of worse things.” 

“It has.” They’d had to drive with the windows open for three days after Jack decided to try a jalapenos/fish stick breakfast burrito on his way to work. 

Jack put his magazine down on the end table, threw his blanket aside, and pushed himself up out of the sofa. He grabbed Mac and wrapped his arms around him, rocking from one foot to the other as he hugged him. “Look at you, driving my truck and going on dates. You’ll be leaving school and voting and getting a mortgage next.” 

“Not quite yet.” 

“But soon. Too soon.” Jack put a hand on the back of Mac’s head, weaving strong fingers in to his hair. 

Mac hugged Jack back. He moved so he was more comfortable in Jack’s arms, turning his head so his cheek was resting against Jack’s shoulder instead of having his face pressed into his shirt. He could be there for a while. Jack was feeling sappy and when he was sappy he had a tendency to cling. His shirt smelled like the end of the day, Mac could make out the aroma of straw and leather and there were faint traces of coffee and Jack’s aftershave. “There’s plenty of time between now and then,” he said. 

A grumbling sound of dissent rumbled in Jack’s chest. “There’s not enough time. There’s no such thing as enough when it comes to doing things like this,” he squeezed Mac a little tighter. 

After the time it took for Mac to become an adult had passed he would probably be too tall to tuck himself inside Jack’s arms. His head might not fit so neatly under his dad’s chin when their heights evened out. It would be different but Mac felt sure they would find a way to make it work. 

“You told me once that I’d never get too big for you to hold, that works the other way around too you know, I’ll never get too big to hold onto you.” 

“I’ll hold you to that, kid,” Jack said, adding, “Do you see what I did there?” 

“I saw.” 

“I might get you to write that thing about always letting me hug you down and sign the piece of paper or something.” 

“You won’t need to do that.” 

“That might be true but maybe I'll get you to do it anyway, then I can frame the note and put it somewhere I can see it when you’re all grown up and busy and I’m missing you.” 

“Maybe we’ll do that in the morning at the stable, we could get Herschel to be a witness.” 

Mac felt the muscles of Jack’s back shift as he chuckled. 

“It will be like an _ass_ -idavit, an affidavit, get it?” 

Mac groaned. 

Jack was still showing no signs of letting go of his grip and Mac focused on how it felt to hold him. Jack was solid in his arms, he felt strong, and not just physically. He was steadfast and sturdy, and if Mac had to learn about the physicality of caring he was glad he had Jack as his teacher. 

Touch was a language, one dependent on context and full of nuance, and Mac felt like he would spend his whole life discovering how best to speak it. That was okay, he loved to learn. He loved discovering that Jack’s hand between his shoulder blades helped settle his nervous thoughts and that brushing a fingertip across Katie’s palm made her smile at him. In many ways knowing those things was better than the knowledge he gained from the beakers and Bunsen burners at school. 

And if they were anything like the one he was currently taking his lessons in the language of touch would be wonderful. 

**Author's Note:**

> A few people asked about the balloon prank Jack talked about in Thoughts + Fears + Balance and I hope this has answered your questions. As for The Incident in the Drive in Theatre – I’m not exactly sure what happened there, Jack either got up to something reckless and a little bit illegal or something salacious involving a girl, possibly both. I have a feeling it’s a story he’s never going to tell Mac 😁
> 
> When Carrie Fisher was asked by a parent how he should explain to his child why she was wearing the gold bikini she said: “Tell them that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn't like it. And then I took it off. Backstage.”


End file.
